In Everlasting Peace
by Social Disaster
Summary: No description of any story can really do it justice, you'll just have to read it. (RonDraco)
1. The beginning

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER 1

Although the sun was shining cheerily through the windows in his dormitory, Draco Malfoy had pulled the curtain shut tight around his four- poster, making himself an artificial night. He laid his head back down on his pillow and looked at his watch. It was nearly noon, and Draco still hadn't dragged himself out of bed yet. He had woken up early, listening to the sounds of the others also waking up, but he stayed in bed thinking. It was best that way, because he didn't have to get up and pretend like he didn't have a huge hangover until he felt like it, and he could do what he liked without being interrupted. The only problem was, he was running out of things to think about. He stared up at the ceiling as he continued trying to remember his dream."Ugh..." he told himself as he covered his face with his hands, searching his brain,"it's no good...might as well get up." He swung his feet out of bed and winced as the sun fully hit his eyes this time. Stuffing his near empty bottle of Firewhiskey underneath his bed, he sleepily walked over to his trunk and pulled out a dark gray sweater and some black pants, stretching and arching his back as he went. He threw his clothes on tiredly, and made his way to the bathroom. Stumbling over his own feet, he staggered through the door and looked at his gaunt expression in the mirror. Draco snorted and shook his head at the dark circles under his eyes and his palid complexion. He had definetly looked better. He stayed up rather late, going for his usual nightly walk around the castle and choking down his Firewhiskey, wishing he was dead. Draco shook his head again as he brushed his teeth and ran his fingers through his hair. Eventually, deciding he could pull off not having a hangover, Draco walked out of his dormitory and down the stairs into the common room. Pansy was sitting in his favorite chair waiting for him. Pansy wasn't exactly good or intelligent company, but Draco had to admit that she could be amusing at the times that she wasn't annoying. Hell, any company was good. Pansy was nothing more to him than just another obsessed stalker, but she kept him from being lonely. Crabbe and Goyle were more into food and being stupid togther to do anything with him anymore; the only reason he was ever 'friends' with them during their first few tears was because he had no one else. Now that he had pulled away from them, they seemed to have forgotten that they had ever been friends with him. Pansy turned, seeing Draco come into the common room, and she batted her eyelashes at him. Nearly all the girls (and some of the guys) in Slytherin had a strange obsession with him. Draco didn't know why, it wasn't like he was exactly personable. What was left of him this year had turned into a staring, blank little nothing. He just didn't care about life anymore. Yet, somehow, Draco found that no matter how bad things got, he always dragged himself out of bed and just went about things. He wasn't sure why he bothered.

"Draco..." Pansy drawled seductively as he sat down in a chair furthest away from her,"I wondered when you might come down. I've been waiting to ask you if you'd like to go for a walk around the castle with me."

There was a glint in Pansy's eyes that he didn't like. He knew what she was after and he didn't want it. Lots of his classmates told him that he was mental for not shacking up with Pansy. She was apparently "hott." Whatever.

"Not particularly," Draco answered boredly.

Draco detected a flicker of hurt come across her face, but she quickly covered up by getting up and sitting on Draco's lap. Draco sat his elbow on the arm of the chair and leaned his chin on his hand. He rolled his eyes as he said,

"Haven't I told you just about every day this week that I don't want to have sex with you?"

Pansy giggled as if she hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"I always get what I want," she whispered in his ear.

Seeing that this was going nowhere, Draco got up, and Pansy fell to the floor. He didn't bother to help her up. He could feel her looking at his ass as he turned to leave. She got up and followed him as he walked out of the common room.

"Where are you going?" she asked desperately, eager for his company.

"I don't know."

"Well, I'll walk with you."

"No."

"You can't stop me."

"Fine."

He knew where he was going well enough, he went there often when he had time to spare. He turned a corner and trodded up a staircase towards the Fat Lady's portrait. He had always seen the Gryffindors come this way on their way to their common room, but it wasn't until this year that he knew exactly where it was. He had had to sneak around a lot in order to figure it out. Pansy followed him, still jabbering about something or other. He had learned that it was really best with her just to say,"Yeah" often and occasionally nod. He really had no interest in what she had to say. Now was not one of the times when he was glad for her company. He leaned up against the wall next to the Fat Lady and folded his arms. He took a few minutes to examine his cuticles and wish with all his being that Pansy would go away.

"What are we doing here?" Pansy whined after a while.

"Nothing."

"Obviously," Pansy said loudly as she stared at him.

He wasn't going to tell her where they were. Let her find out soon enough. And right on cue, none other than Ron Weasley stepped out of the portrait hole.

"How's it going, Weasel?"

"What are you doing here?!"

"Oh, What's the matter? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Or maybe Scarhead pushed you out of his..." Draco sighed as Pansy squealed in laughter.

"Shut your face, Malfoy!" Ron spat and pulled out his wand.

Draco sneered and said,"Don't even try it, Weasel. I don't feel like getting detention today. Besides, you're not really worth that much of my time."

"Then why were you standing out here?"

"That's not really your business is it?" Draco turned to leave and forgot himself as he smiled appoligetically at Ron and went back down the staircase. _Damn, why did I smile at him?!?!?!_ Draco thought angrily.Draco liked seeing Ron. He went by the entrance to Gryffindor tower every chance he could to see him. Usually he didn't stand out in the open where Ron could see him, but today Pansy was with him, and she expected a show, which Draco had to give. Draco remembered the first time he had laid eyes on Ron at the beginning of the semester. Ron was at Platform 9 3/4, with Potter and Granger, hugging his mother goodbye. Ron's back was towards him. He stared for a moment. His mother never had given him a hug before. No one had. Then Ron turned around to get on the train. In that brief glimpse that Draco caught of him, he knew all he needed to know. He wanted Ron Weasley, and he wanted him badly. But wait, that wasn't right. He'd never wanted anyone this way before, and he didn't even know Ron. Sure, he had been attracted to other guys, but not like this. Ron had grown even taller, and his face was losing it's preteen-like qualities; it was more elongated and angular. His hair had grown so that he had that sort of rather shaggy 'I'm not a hippie quite yet, but I'm getting there' length so that it hung just above his eyes. He was still kind of lanky looking, but it suited him. Draco noticed that the first years' eyes who weren't on himself were on Ron, or either darting back and forth, trying to decide who to look at. Draco came back to reality as he led Pansy doggedly for a walk around the castle to please her.

A few minutes later, Ron had joined Harry outside.

"What's up with you?" Harry questioned Ron as they sat down on a bench outside, for lack of anything else to do.

"Malfoy."

"What did he do this time?"

"If you can believe it, he was standing outside the portrait hole when I came out to meet you, and Pansy Parkinson was with him, so of course he had to make a scene."

"But how does he know where our common room is?"

"I dunno, but I'm going to start locking our dormitory door from now on because you can be sure he knows the password."

"Oh shit."

"Yep."

Harry rolled his eyes as he said,"Well, anyway, don't listen to what he says, he just likes to stir things up to pump more air into his already fat head. You know that. C'mon, let's go for a walk or something..."

"Okay," Ron said as they got up and started towards the lake. But something was still bothering him. He thought that just before Malfoy had turned to leave, he had smiled at him. Draco Malfoy, smiling? No, I must be mistaken. I've never seen Draco Malfoy smile in his life. And what were the odds of Malfoy smiling at ME? It didn't look like a very happy smile, but it did brighten up his face a little. He actually wasn't bad looking at all when he smiled. Wait, WHAT? What am I saying? Urgh. What kind of pervert am I? I couldn't have possibly let myself just think that Draco Malfoy was attractive. Besides...I'm NOT gay. I'm not. Not. NOT GAY-

"You're quiet," Harry said, cutting into Ron's thoughts.

"I'm thinking."

"About Malfoy?" Harry said, right on target.

"No. Urr...about food."

Harry laughed,"Do you think about anything else?"

"Not much."

"Do you still fancy Hermione?"

"I dunno...why?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you..."

Harry produced a peice of parchment, a quill, and some ink, and squatted down so that he could bear on his knee while he wrote. He wrote,'But I guess I can write it. Ha...she fancies you.' He handed the peice of parchment to Ron. Ron snickered as he read and said,

"She must really be thick to think that you wouldn't tell me."

"Yep, pretty much."

They crossed over to the tree at the edge of the lake and sat down again after walking around the lake a few more times. Ron brushed leaves off the damp grass and sat down in a shady spot. Harry also sat and brought his books out of his bag and rummaged around for some spare parchment. Ron dug out his Potions homework and started to finish it. Snape was loading them with more homework than ever and the beginning of the semester had just started. He consulted his book to find an answer, but he found that no matter how many times he read the same sentence, his brain just wouldn't register it. He wanted to think about other things. Like 'food.' Ron snorted quietly as he thought about what a ridiculous lie this was. He might as well just let himself admit it. He had thought Draco Malfoy was attractive, in that dark, mysterious, quiet way for a while now. Ever since he had first seen him at the start of term feast, he had held that opinion. But he had always dismissed it, telling himself he wasn't gay, and besides, Draco hated him anyway. And Harry would kill him for sure if he so much as let on that he was even thinking about Draco Malfoy this way. Ron heaved a sigh and let his head fall back against the tree trunk. He mentally asked himself if he was losing it, and thought about whether crazy people actually knew they were crazy or not. He closed his eyes, still thinking about Draco and questioning his mental health. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep to the scratching of Harry's quill.

The first thing that Ron was aware of was that it was nearly pitch black. He was walking down the corridor leading to the dungeons. He pushed his right hand up against the stone wall and tried to find his way around. From his left, a hand reached out and grabbed him. He gasped, but a vaguely familiar voice whispered,

"It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you..."

Then he felt a warm pair of lips on his own. He felt like his stomach had shrunk up into his esophogus and his feet were rooted to the floor. Ron kissed- whoever it was- back hotly, but then broke away.

"Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare," the voice responded jokingly.

"I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"Tell me."

"No. You'd strangle me."

"Fine, if you want to be that way," Ron muttered, taking his wand out of his pocket.

"Lumos." Ron gasped again and dropped his wand. It clattered away as Ron looked into the pale face of Draco Malfoy. Ron could still make out Draco's face from the now distant light of his wand

Harry was shaking Ron awake and saying,"Comon, mate, we've stayed out here too long, we're late for dinner."

"Oh...right.." Ron croaked groggily. He was still shell-shocked as he attempted to get up and hoist his bag up onto his shoulder. He was shaking all over and almost fell several times on the way back up to the castle. As Ron treaded back into the castle, he felt immensely thankful to get out of the muggy weather, it was making him clammier than he already was.

"What's wrong with you? Your face looks weird...like it's really white, but then your neck is really red."

"Oh...I- uh...had a weird dream."

"About what?"

"Umm..."Draco Malfoy "...food."

Harry laughed as they made their way through the doors into the Great Hall. They found Hermione and sat amongst all the other Gryffindors as they waited for their meal to appear.

"Hello, Ron," Hermione said breathlessly, turning to face him.

"Ur..hi."

"Where have you two been all day?"

"We went for a walk and tried to finish some homework."

"Good. You should have come to the library, I was there."

"You're always in the library."

"I know. Believe it or not, it's not painful to read a book."

"If you say so."

They all dug in as dish after dish of food arrived on the plates in front of them. Ron snuck a look over at the Slytherin table, and sure enough, there was Draco Malfoy, obviously entertaining Pansy by doing nothing but breathing. Pansy was sitting in the seat next to him talking excitedly, plainly keen just to be in his almighty presence. Ron noticed how unusually unhappy he seemed to look. He wasn't talking to anyone or even eating, just sitting there quietly, occasionally mumbling a yes or no to Pansy to shut her up. Then, Draco jerked his head up and met Ron's gaze, feeling his eyes on him. He didn't smile or sneer, just stared back. Ron turned around

quickly, telling himself mentally that it didn't mean anything.

"Oh, is he bothering you again?" Hermione asked him looking back at Draco with distaste. Before Ron had a chance to answer, Harry said,

"Yeah, Ron says he was hanging out outside the portrait hole this afternoon shooting his mouth off."

"Oh, please. If he has to do that to make himself feel better, he's worse off than I thought, which is saying something."

"No shit," Harry agreed.

They eventually finished their meal and got up to return to their dormitory. Ron looked back over to where Draco was sitting. He was still surveying Ron with interest. Ron's neck turned red as he left the Great Hall. Draco noticed and began to think about what this meant.


	2. ArtLifePain

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER 2

Draco didn't know when he had really come to terms with the fact that he was gay, but he didn't beat himself up over it or let what other people said about being gay get to him. Not that he would date most of the people that went to Hogwarts. There were a few Slytherins he found attractive, but they weren't anything special enough to pursue and get his heart broken over. But then, there was Ron. He didn't know what had first attracted him to Ron, but one thing he did beat himself up over were the times he was forced to say shit to or about Ron because it was expected. He hated it. He wished, standing here in the common room by the fire, that he could just drop to his knees and pour out his heart right there on that fucking ugly black rug. He'd tell everyone about how much his mother detested him and how he was nothing but a mere temporary object of interest to his father. He'd scream at them about how much he hated them all for forcing him to be something he wasn't. About how he wanted to die and had failed at attempts to kill himself several times. About how beautiful he thought Ron was, above all. But that was nothing but a fantasy. What did he expect? They'd probably end up all ganging him after classes one day or something. And what would Ron do when he heard? Come charging in on a white horse and save him? Fat chance. Yes, Draco thought, it's just better to keep quiet and know what's going to happen tomorrow. He sat down in his favorite chair by one of the windows, still thinking. Then he got up and brought over some homework to try and finish it before the weekend was over. He sat there for a few minutes, staring at a page in his book, but in the end, he got up and returned to his dormitory, too restless to do much of anything. He fell onto his bed fully clothed and tried to get to sleep for nearly two hours. By then everyone else was already sleeping. It was no use, he HAD to do it. It was the only way to make himself feel better. He got up and made his way out of the room and down the stairs quietly. The common room was deserted and unfriendly looking. Not that it ever looked friendly, but it was definetly different in the dark. He continued walking across the room and made his way out the entrance. He pushed his hand flat on the wall to balance himself in the dark and fished around in his pockets for his wand. "Lumos," he whispered. A glaring light appreared at the tip of his wand and he quickly resumed walking. He took the shortest route he knew to the deserted classroom he liked to spend much of his time in. The noises he made as he walked echoed against the stone walls and rebounded off them, making Draco a little paranoid as he repeatedly looked behind him into the darkness. Most of the objects in the paintings were sleeping, but awoke with a start at the glare of Draco's wand and the echoes he made, and they whispered angrily at him that he should be in bed. Draco finally reached his destination, pushing the door open with a creak and stepping inside. The walls were panelled with a dark red wood that almost looked black. On the floor were black and white marble square tiles. In the corner was an old desk and a broken chair, but besides these, there was no other furniture in the room. there was one window with a seat across from the door. As he looked around at the familiar surroundings, Draco breathed a sigh of relief.This was where he could let loose. This was, unofficially, his room. He took off his coat and laid it on the desk. He then crossed back to the window and sat down on the window seat slowly. He liked to look out the window at the stars and moon and imagine that someone who cared about him was looking at the same sky. It was on this ledge that he had realized that no one had ever told him that they loved him. No one ever bothered to tell him that he was beautiful or smart or even ask him what he wanted to do when he got out of Hogwarts. Draco averted his gaze to the glass in the window. It was very old, so old that it had bubbles and swirls in it, like the glass that was handmade in the 1800's. Draco brought his fingers up to the cool glass and traced a rather large swirl, thinking about how hard it must have been to make glass the way they did back then. Suddenly, Draco took his fingers off the glass and turned around to look at the room behind him. He held his breath, realizing that he was alone. Not just alone, but Alone. He had always been Alone, but now he knew it. There wasn't one person in the world who he could truly say cared about him in a non- sexual way. What was so wrong with him? He knew he was intimidating and when he got angry he said things he didn't mean... maybe that was it. Maybe they all just thought he was s dick. But what about his mother and father? They didn't love him. He remembered one day, when he was about seven, his parents and he were sitting at the dinner table quietly, eating. His father had taken him to buy his first toy broomstick. He looked over at his father and said,

"Thank you for my broomstick, father."

"I just hope you don't kill yourself on it. I was nine when I had my first broom, but I couldn't take your begging for much longer."

"I'm sorry..." Draco said quietly,"I....love you, father." Draco had seen another little boy that was no more than three years old in the toy store holding his mother and father's hands. He had looked up at them and said,"I love you Mummy and Daddy!" They laughed at him softly and told him that they loved him too. Draco wondered why his parents had never told him they loved him, so he decided to tell them first. His father set down his fork on his plate as both his parents turned to look at each other. Lucius turned back to his son, eyebrows raised, but resumed eating. Draco remembered that he had cried himself to sleep that night. The memory faded and Draco found that he was back at Hogwarts and Malfoy Mansion was miles away, much to his relief. Trying to push it to the back of his mind again, Draco lit up a cigarette and held it in between his thumb and middle fingers as he watched the smoke curl and circle up to the ceiling. He dug deep in his pockets again and took out his knife. The handle was made out of steel, the same as the blade, and had all kinds of interesting shapes and animals and designs on it. Draco had often looked at it for hours, trying to decipher what it all meant. Suddenly, with one swift motion, Draco brought it down on his wrist. He grimaced as a trickle of blood seeped out of the wound and hit the window sill. He rolled up his sleeve further, exposing the pink scars and white, raised ones that he knew so well. He was young, so most of them would fade. He brought the knife down again slowly to his pale skin and pressed down. He moved the knife towards himself and waited for the blade to peirce his skin. He winced as it did and repeated this on the other arm. By this time, Draco's A positive blood was all over the window sill and his arms. He let his tears run down his face for the first time in several years as he asked himself why he had to hurt so much. Why no one cared about him. Why he couldn't have Ron. He got up and walked dizzily across the room to get his coat. He pressed it down on his wounds, hoping to lessen the bleeding. The rough fabric only made it hurt more and Draco winced again as it touched the wounds. He crossed the room again with the coat and sat down at the window seat for the second time. He wiped up the rest of the blood on the window sill with the part of the coat that wasn't covering his arms. The coat was black so he could easliy have it washed without anyone noticing that there was even anything on it. A few minutes later he removed the coat to see if the bleeding had stopped yet. There was no longer any blood seeping out of any of the cuts, but they looked pretty bad. This was starting to remind him too much of a poem he'd read:

I sat there stripped of all I knew

On my concrete floor

Took out a sheet of paper

Do you think of me anymore

I drew a picture

A picture of you

Now it is torn

It used to be new

If art is life and life is pain

And pain is when you scream

Then why do I still think of you

Why are you in my dreams

Yes, it certainly was very fitting. Draco inhaled and exhaled on his cigarette a few times and finally put it out. He opened the window, threw it out, shivered, and then closed the window again.

Meanwhle, Ron laid awake on his bed. He was afraid to sleep for fear of having another dream about Draco. He didn't want to want him. The problem wasn't the fact that he had finally realized that he was bisexual, but that he knew that if he fell in love with Draco Malfoy, it would slowly eat him alive for a long time. Even if Draco was gay, he wouldn't date me. He hates me. But why did he smile at me? Ron sighed and rolled over to face the window. He looked out at the stars and after a while he fell asleep, hoping he wouldn't have another dream about Draco, but at the same time wanting to. He had the same dream again as last time, except this time, it was longer because there was no one and nothing to interrupt it. Ron had a fitful night, waking up every hour, and when he finally got back to sleep, he had the same dreams all over again. When morning finally came, Ron found himself tightly twisted in his sheets and sleeping sideways on his bed with his head and feet hanging off. Ron did not get up and join Harry and Hermione for breakfast like he usually did. He stayed in bed until nearly one o'clock. When he finally woke up and went down to the Great Hall for lunch, his eyes were red and he had circles under them. He slouched into his seat beside Hermione and she eyed him as he tried pouring himself a glass of Pumpkin Juice, but kept missing the glass. She finally took over and poured it for him, tutting.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked.

"Bad night," Ron mumbled.

"I'm sorry," she replied as she kissed him on the cheek.

At this, Ron perked up and looked at her.

"What was that for?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Harry smirked at Ron. Ron had come in in the middle of lunch, so he had to bolt down his food. Staying awake all night had made him extrememly hungry,and he wasn't about to go without seconds, at least. After they were all done eating, they got up and decided to head to the library to finish their homework before it was due the next day. They plonked down at their favorite table in the far corner of the library. Hermione took a book out of her bag entitled Mating Habits of Hippogriffs, making Harry and Ron gag.

"Ugh, Hermione! Why are you reading THAT?" Ron asked quizzically.

"I know, I know, it's really gross, but I'm trying read as much as I can this year, and...well...usually I just grab a book at random."

"What? You haven't already read the whole libraray?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and opened her book. Harry and Ron spent a few moments gazing over her shoulders and making fun of the Hippogriff's mating positions and such.

"Look at the look on it's face!" Harry managed to choke through his hysterical laughter,"it looks like it's just discovered that someone's stuck a pickle up it's arse."

"Well," Ron replied through his own laughter,"someone has." And that set them off even more. When they finally calmed down, they opened their own books and tried to do the rest of their homework the best they could without bursting out laughing every few minutes. Ron looked down at his open book and started reading the section in his Potions book about the potential of powdered unicorn hooves in Paralyzing Draughts. He opened his ink bottle and dipped his quill into it. Just as he was preparing to write down something about the Paralyzing Draught, he looked upand to his surprise, Draco Malfoy was sitting at the table opposite him reading a book. He didn't think Harry or Hermione had noticed Draco, so he could freely stare. Eventually he looked back down at his work and wrote down a few sentences. Hermione was sitting on his left and she leaned in towards him and said,

"I'm out of ink, and I left all my spare bottles in my dormitory. Can I borrow some of yours?"

"Sure, go ahead," Ron muttered, looking up at Draco again. Hermione's hand brushed his as she reached over to dip her quill into his ink. He looked over at her and even though she was writing something, he could see her face getting pink. He went back to writing his Potions essay, occasionally checking to see how long it was. When he was finally finished, Harry was still working, and Hermione looked deeply engrossed in a new book, so he decided to get up and look at the books in the Quidditch section while he waited for Harry to finish. He walked down the aisle to the very end and picked out a book on the history of the Chudley Cannons. It was a very fat and heavy book, and left a nice gap in between the two other books beside it. He opened the book to a random page and stood there a moment, reading a list of names of all the people who had been on the team and dates that they were accepted into it. Ron looked up abruptly and saw a pair of gray eyes staring at him over the top of the book facing the other aisle. They searched his face. It was Draco. Ron stared back, trying not to let himself get stuck in Draco's gaze. Without warning, the eyes disappeared, and Ron was left standing there looking at just the books on the opposite aisle. He looked back down his aisle and saw Draco look at him before he sat back down in his chair with a new book. Ron put the book he was holding back up and was freaking out a little as he made his way back to Harry and Hermione.

"You finished yet?" he asked Harry, trying to appear calm.

"Almost....there." Harry said, adding another sentence to his potions essay.

"What do you wanna do now?" Ron inquired in a bored tone of voice, but his brain was far from being bored.

"Well, dinner's in an hour, so whatever we do will have to be quick." Hermione cut in knowingly.

"I fancy a nap...I stayed up until nearly three working on this damn essay and still didn't get it finished until just now," Harry yawned.

Hermione turned to Ron. "What about you?"

"Urr...I dunno, I might just walk around for a bit."

"Mind if I join you?"

"If you want," Ron answered, rather wishing to be alone.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry made their way past all of the books and out of the library. Right as Ron was going out the door, Draco noticed a small book fall out of his bag. Draco ran to get it, intending to return it. It was small and black. It wasn't a school book, so Draco's curiosity got the better of him as he watched Ron walk down the hall with the others. He opened it to the first page, which simply said,'RON WEASLEY.' Draco felt like the luckiest man alive... if he wasn't dreaming, he had just found Ron Weasley's journal. Draco grinned, closed it with a snap, and walked down the hall along the familiar route that took him to his deserted classroom. When he got there, he opened the door and set his bag on the desk. He the crossed over to the window seat, as usual, sat down, and opened Ron's journal again. From just skimming it, he could see that Ron was truly a writer. He wrote about all sorts of things...opinions, theories, ideas. But the things that most caught his attention were the things he wrote about his family and friends. Draco didn't know what it was like to have friends or a family that loved him. Then Draco's own name caught his attention. He did a small double take. Sure enough, it said, 'Draco...". He flipped back to the beginning of the entry and started reading.

'I think I'm going crazy. Am I gay? I don't think I am, because I think I'd still date Hermione, but at the same time I'm starting to get this weird obsession for Draco Malfoy. I can't believe I just wrote that. I mean, I have plently of reasons to hate him, and I feel like such a traitor, but that day when he smiled at me...I dunno, something just clicked in my brain. Maybe I'm bi. But now that Hermione finally does want me, all I want is Draco. Ever since I first saw him this year at the start of term feast, I have felt like he's eating me alive on the inside. I find myself thinking about him during my classes, so now I am having to stay up very late re- reading the chapters we did that day in order to finish my homework on time. I don't know why I'm so obsessed, I mean, it could never happen. We're so different. His Dad hates me and my family and has for a long time, and his dad's a death eater. I assume his son is headed in the same direction. But, I just have this feeling that Draco's different. I always have, but I was never really attracted to him this way until now. I mean, would his dad smile at me? No. But Draco did, I think."

As Draco read, his heart started to beat faster and faster in excitement and anxiety. He longed to run and find Ron and tell him how much he wanted him and that he was different from his father, but he was afraid Potter or Grager would be around. In the end, Draco ended up taking out his ink and quill and writing below Ron's words:

'I have always found the written word to house so much more emotion than when it is spoken. I do not lack the courage to talk to you, but I thought I'd save us both from fumbling through spoken words face to face. So I'll tell you plainly here. I adore you. This is how you make me feel even though I don't even know you...happy, but at loss for what I know I can't have. But, I don't know, maybe that's not true anymore. I know I may be bitter and angry, obviously, but impatience is not usually one of my weaknesses. You torment me. The way you look at me makes me want to grab you and make you explain yourself. I think I have read the last thing you wrote about eleven times now, wondering if it's real. I know you don't realize it, but I come to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and sit down, hidden by that suit of armor a few feet away. I go there whenever I have spare time, waiting for you to come in or out for hours at a time just to see you for a few seconds. It's crazy. I'm not sure what first attracted me to you, but then, you have changed a lot since last year. And you have the right feeling about me- my father and I are completely different. In fact, I turned down the Dark Mark over the summer, but my father has influence with Voldemort, so I won't be hurt, although father is furious with me. Voldemort is counting on father to persude me into accepting it next summer, but don't share any of his views. It hurts me every time I have to say something shitty to you because of what is expected of me.When people get smarter, they don't stop doing all the bad things they do, they just think up better reasons for doing it. That's how my father is, and he expects me to keep up his reputation while I'm here. If I didn't treat you like dirt, can you imagine what my father would do to me? My 'friends' would go home and tell their Mummy and Daddy, and that would tarnish my father's holy reputation. I mean, true, I dislike Potter and Granger, but you're different. I don't know why. See you around.

Draco Malfoy.'

Draco closed the book again, feeling satisfied, and left to find Ron. Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione were walking down the Charms corridor. They had split up with Harry a few minutes ago at the staircase leading up to up to the Fat Lady's Portrait. They were rounding a corner, trying to think of converstation topics.

"You've changed a lot this year, Ron. But so have I," Hermione said sheepishly.

"I take it that's a good thing."

"Yes."

"Good."

Hermione's hand was brushing dangerously close to his as they walked. Ron guessed she was hoping he'd take it. He wanted to, but he knew it was no good. If he dated Hermione, he would just want Draco all the more.

"Harry told me you fancied me."

Hermione opened her mouth in shock and embarassment and started to say something, but Ron cut her off.

"-or rather, he wrote it to me on a peice of parchment since you forbid him to tell me."

"I can't believe him!" Hermione said loudly, turning pink.

"It's okay. I mean, I used to really fancy you a lot, and I still do a bit, but this year I kind of gave up on you because I was tired of waiting for you. So you've caught me at a bad time, because now I want someone else." Ha. Now see what it's like!

"Oh," Hermione said, hurt.

"I really do care about you, though, Hermione, and you're like a sister to me. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said quietly as she smiled sadly and wiped a tear off her cheek,"I think I'm gonna go finish my book."

"Are you sure? Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you positive?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. See you later."

"See you."

Hermione took a left turn at the next hallway and Ron kept walking straight. He kept walking for a ways and heard footsteps behind him. Draco Malfoy was running down the hall towards him. When he finally caught up with Ron, he just stood there for a few minutes, out of breath. He eventually produced Ron's book and managed to say,

"You dropped this."

"Oh...er...thanks."

"Listen, I..er- I'm.... sorry about- um...about yesterday."

Ron stared. He had never heard Draco Malfoy appologize to him. This was about as common an occurrance as Ron wearing a speedo in the middle of a blizzard. Draco's ears turned red.

"Urr...no problem."

"See you around."

"Yeah."

Draco turned and walked quickly in the other direction. Ron looked down at the book and his jaw dropped.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" Ron said to himself.

Thoughts were racing through Ron's mind about 20 times as fast as his feet were racing back to Gryffindor Tower.


	3. Unreal

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER THREE

Harry looked up as a flushed and out of breath Ron stepped through the portrait hole and sat down miserably on the couch in front of the fire beside Harry.

"What's up?"

But Ron just shook his head. Harry shrugged and laid his head back down on the arm of the couch. He closed his eyes and fell back to sleep listening to Ron's uneven and ragged breathing. Making sure that Harry was sound asleep and no one else in the common room was watching or coming his way, Ron slowly opened his journal. He flipped to the last page to see if there was any sign that Draco had read anything...a wrinkled page...a smudge... but to his surprise, he found a message scrawled in a sharp handwriting. It was signed Draco Malfoy. Ron held his breath as he read what Draco had written anxiously. When he was finished, he slammed the book shut, sweating slightly. This wasn't real. It couldn't be, he told himself for the twentieth time. Ron was shaking down to his fingertips and he felt dizzy. This was the happiest he had ever felt, yet he was tense. Should he say something to Draco? What would he say? What would he do? Was it just some sick joke? Ron's heart sunk into his stomach. What if it was a joke?

Back in the Slytherin common room, Draco was having the same thoughts and feelings. He was sitting in his favorite chair again. Pansy walked up and perched herself on his lap.

"Draco..." Pansy whispered in a husky voice as she moved her hand to his upper thigh.

"Get off me, Pansy."

"You're so sexy when you're angry. Are you an angry boy?" she purred.

"Only when you're around."

"Ooh, not very nice...but I'm sure I can fix that," she said, looking deep into his eyes.

"GET OFF. I am not your boytoy. I am not interested in you, it's not going to happen."

"Oh comon, Draco, you know you haven't gotten laid in a long time."

"I said GET THE HELL OFF!" Draco yelled as he pushed Pansy to the floor and stood up. Pansy ran after him and in a last ditch effort and grabbed his upper arm. She pushed him up against the wall. Draco let out an angry shout.

"If I kiss you will you be satisfied?" Draco pleaded, annoyed.

"Not nearly. But I'll leave you alone, if that's what you mean."

"Fine," Draco said, grabbing Pansy by the shirt collar. He felt her lips touch his. She shoved her tongue as far down Draco's throat as she could get it. She wasn't very good. Draco pushed on her, signalling her to slow down. He explored her mouth with no real interest, then kissed her closed-mouthed and broke away. He wiped his mouth off and turned away."DRACO MALFOY IS THE BEST KISSER IN SLYTHERIN!" Pansy screamed to the rest of the common room as she threw her hands up. She would certainly know, Draco thought as he rolled his eyes and sat back down. Pansy had screwed most of the guys and a few of the girls in Slytherin. Soon Draco had girls of all ages fawning over him.

"Can I kiss you Draco?" A fifth year asked him.

"Screw that! Fancy a shag?" another girl asked him.

Draco snapped his book shut and walked slowly up the stairs to his dormitory with all the girls still trailing him. It was nearly ten o'clock, and Draco wondered where all the time had gone. He decided to take a walk to 'his' room. He knew he was only going to be sitting in there thinking the same restless thoughts that he was thinking now, but he couldn't very well go to sleep. Not after what had happened today. He crept out of the common room again, and lighted his wand once he got out. He did this almost every night. It was a challenge not getting caught, but it was part of the fun. By now Draco knew how to avoid Filch and the professors. He knew their posts and their hangouts. He took the long way to get most places, but it was a small price to pay concidering what would happen if he were to get caught. Draco turned onto a different hallway and turned again in the middle of it. He walked to the end of the new corridor and there it was. His room. He pushed the door open and locked it behind him. If he locked it with magic, anyone could easily get in, but using the ordinary locks, he was safe as long as he stayed quiet. Draco walked into the room, already feeling less tense. This time he did not cross to the window, but eyed the desk and went over to examine it. He had never really looked at it before. He opened the drawer on the right and there was a cracked mirror inside along with a few broken quills, old bits of parchment, and a few wax candles that Draco assumed were for the the brackets outside the door. Draco took out the candles, set them on the desk, and opened the left drawer, but the bottom peice of wood was missing, so he could see the floor. He shoved the frame of the drawer back into the desk and took the candles with him as he sat down on the floor. He dug around in his pocket for his lighter as he set the thick candles upright on the floor. Draco produced his lighter and lit one of the candles. Draco watched it for a while until the wax began to drip and pool at the base of the candle. Draco laid down on the cold floor on his side so the the candle appeared sideways. His hand was beside the candle, and Draco noticed that he had somehow cut his finger, and by the look of it, the cut was very deep; it was bleeding a lot. He was always doing that. Draco wasn't sure, but he had the feeling that his pain receptors were miswired. He had always been able to a take a lot of physical pain, more than most people should. He hadn't even realized that he had cut himself....his finger must have gotten caught on his knife when he had dug in his pocket for his lighter. Draco stared as his blood also pooled on the floor, mixing strangely with the wax. Thinking about Ron, Draco fell asleep that way. Amazingly, he stayed fairly warm all night, and only woke to blow out the candle. In the morning, he woke up late for breakfast. He opened his eyes and jerked awake as he heard the sounds of his classmates making their way down to the Great Hall. Draco sat up and groaned, he had slept on his back wrong and now there was a sharp pain at the small of it. "Damn," he muttered, combing his hair back with his fingers as he stood up and unlocked the door. He pushed it open slowly and made sure no one was coming, then raced into the Great Hall along with the other late risers. He stopped dead when he saw Ron sitting at the Gryffindor table, staring at him as he came in. He stared back a moment, then took his place at the Slytherin table. He sat down in his usual place, and Pansy scooted over a few seats to sit next to him. She actually had the gaul to start kissing his neck. He pushed her off and looked at her like she was a crazy person, which she was.

"Oh, don't pretend to be that way after that kiss last night."

"Don't flatter yourself. I did it to get you to lay off me. You know that. I guess it was a mistake."

"Pease, Draco, don't be so naive. If you didn't care about me, you wouldn't have done it."

"Oh, just shut the hell up."

Pansy smiled and finished her breakfast while Draco continuously rubbed the spit off his neck with his sleeve. Ron couldn't help feeling a bit jealous, even though he could see plainly that Draco would have no part in Pansy's exploitations. Harry turned to Ron as he said,

"Hermione told me about your conversation yesterday."

"Oh."

"She's pretty upset."

"I knew she would be, but now it's her turn to feel like I did when she knew damn well that I cared about her."

"True."

"Why is she sitting at the other end of the table?"

"She says she's too sad to be around you at the moment."

"Oh, please. Girls are so odd."

"Again, very true."

Soon it was time for their first class, so Harry and Ron gathered up their things and got up to go to Potions. Ron usually hated this class, but he looked at it now with excitement...Draco would be there. He was so eager to get to class, he would have run had Harry not been with him. Snape had set Draco as his partner at the start of term. Draco was just as excited, and ran to class with his cheeks flushed. He rounded a corner and- BAM- smashed right into Ron at the door.

"Oh shit, sorry," Draco said, turning red.

"Don't worry about it, Ron said awkwardly. Ron and Harry went in front of Draco into the classroom to wait for Snape.

"What was that all about?!" Harry nearly yelled, nonplussed.

"Dunno," Ron answered nervously,"maybe he thought I was someone else."

"Probably."

Ron let out a sigh of relief that Harry had accepted his excuse. Ron looked anxiously back at the door, waiting for Snape to come in and tell them to get with their partners. He stared at Pansy intensely as she whispered something to Draco. Snape threw the doors open loudly, making no excuse as to why he was late. Although only ten minutes had passed, it seemed like hours to Ron and Draco. Snape shut the windows all at once with a bang as he waved his wand, leaving the room in semi-darkness. The only light came from the low and glowing fires beneath their cauldrons and a few thin candles in the tarnished metal brackets on the wall. Ordinarily, Ron would have thought this a little creepy, but he was too preoccupied with telling himself not to be nervous. Snape instructed them to join their partners and brew a Paralyzing Draught. He tapped his long and unusually sharp wand on his blackboard and instructions appeared. Ron walked nervously to his and Draco's assigned desk near the back of the room. Draco was already sitting there, preparing the cauldron and ingredients. Ron set his bag down on the floor a few feet away from himself and a good ways away from the cauldron. He got out his ingredients also and set them on the table.

"Did you read it?" Draco asked Ron.

"Yeah."

"This is so damn weird."

"I know."

Ron began to precisely chop up their snake root, hands shaking. Draco noticed this and smiled at Ron.

"You don't have to be scared of me."

Ron let out a huge sigh and said,"Sorry, it's not you, I'm just nervous."

"I know. I am too."

"You're nervous? That's a first. You always act so sure of yourself. I mean, that's not a bad thing. Confidence is good."

"Well, I don't know. I'm nervous because I actually care about what kind of impression I leave on you. I could care less about the rest of the jerk- offs at this school."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I just wish I could be myself around them, but...you know, they'd murder me. But don't worry, you're already leaving a good impression."

"I hope so. And I know how that is, just wanting to be yourself. I try to be to the point that it doesn't hurt me or my father's immaculate reputation."

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that."

"Hey, Potty's looking over here, act like you're stabbing me or something."

Ron stifled a laugh and tried to pretend to look like he was having the worst time of his life. It was no use, he let out a snort, which only made Draco laugh. This seemed to satisfy Harry, who assumed he was making a joke about Ron, so he turned back around and worked on his potion with Crabbe.

"That was close," Draco said quietly.

"Gotta be careful. Harry'd kill me if he knew..."

"Ditch him."

Ron laughed,"No, he's my best mate."

"I know, just kidding. I wouldn't really ask you to do that."

Ron smiled as he dumped their snake root into the bubbling cauldron. The water turned a poisonous looking, reptilian green. Ron quickly stirred it six times counter-clockwise and then poured in some of the powdered Unicorn Hooves, which turned the mixture purple. He stirred it again, this time clockwise. Then they let it simmer for a bit while they ground up their beetle eyes. It was very disgusting work, and made a rather mushy-looking substance.

"This is so gross," Ron said, trying not to gag.

"I think I'm going to throw up."

"If you have to, throw up on me, this is worth like 15 percent of our grade."

"I wouldn't throw up on you. I'd throw up on Potter."

"And I would laugh, because it would be funny, even though he is my best mate."

"I'll seriously do it if it'll make you laugh."

"No, don't!" Ron pleaded, laughing.

Draco smiled and said,"I won't."

They turned to dump in their squashed beetle eyes and the potion thickened up. Draco went up to Snape's desk to get two vials to put samples of their potion in and returned, being careful not to drop them. Draco scooped the potion into the vials and corked them quickly.

"You label them, my handwriting stinks," Ron said, handing Draco his quill and ink.

Draco labelled them neatly in his sharp script. Ron and Draco were the first to get done with their potion, and they still had twenty minutes left in class, so they sat down at the table and started talking again.

"It's almost stupid how we aren't even awkward around each other. It's like I sort of always had that feeling that you weren't that bad. I don't know," Ron said quietly.

"It's a nice feeling."

"Yeah, it is."

Draco let out a huge grin. Ron was surprised, he had never seen Draco grin that way. Like nothing was or ever could be wrong, like he was the happiest, luckiest guy in the world to just simply be sitting here with Ron.

"Wanna skip the rest of your classes?I want to show you something," Draco whispered, his eyes glittering in the candlelight.

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"Wait and see," Draco smiled mysteriously,"I've never showed anyone else. You'll like it."

Snape ordered them to go back and it in their seats after they had set their vials on his desk with their names clearly labeled on them. Ron smiled sadly at Draco as he gathered his things and went to turn in his vial and sit by Harry. He could feel Draco's eyes on him as he sat down.

"Did Draco give you crap?" Harry asked angrily,"I saw him laughing at you."

"Yeah."

"Stupid bugger."

The seconds felt like minutes to Ron and Draco as they waited to be together again. When it was finally time to leave, Ron got up and headed for the door. He saw Draco wink at him as he walked out the door.

"I'm skipping, guys, see you later," Ron said to Harry and Hermione as he ran after Draco.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER FOUR

Ahead of Ron, Draco turned a corner and waited for Ron to catch up. Ron turned the corner, and to his surprise, Draco grabbed him by the arm a little too hard and said seriously,

"There's one thing I have to ask you before I take you to where we're going."

"Anything," Ron said, nonplussed.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"What do you mean?"

In anxiety, Draco sqeezed harder on Ron's arm and said,"I mean you being attracted to me."

"No. But I was eventually going to ask you that same question."

"Promise?"

"Scout's honor."

"What?"

"Urr...nothing, that's just something my dad says a lot. Some kind of muggle thing. But I promise."

Draco let go of Ron and let out a sigh of relief as he responded,"Sorry about that...I just- I dunno. It's just so....strangely painfully abnormally odd. I mean, me and you. I always thought you hated me."

"I wanted to hate you, because Harry's my best friend and you hate him, but like I said, I just had this feeling that you weren't letting on about who you really were. My brothers and sister tell me I'm kind of intuitive like that."

"You must be if you could sense that...but, comon, let's get out of here before we get caught."

They walked quickly down the hall, looking over their shoulders often and trying to make as little noise as possible.

"This way," Draco whispered as he pulled Ron down a different hallway. He finally reached the door and opened it quietly.

"This....is my room."

Ron walked in and said,"Wow....this is really nice. Do you come here often?"

"All the time."

"Don't you get caught?"

"No, I've snuck around this school too many times. I know where all the teachers go. If I use the lock on the door, no one can get in, and as long as I'm quiet, they don't have a reason to."

"So I could meet you here, like, any time I wanted."

"Right."

"Cool."

Ron set his things down and went over to the window to sit down. He took his coat off and spread it over himself and Draco like a blanket as they sat down.

"So," Draco asked quietly,"what do you want to do today?"

Ron looked at he glass in the window interestedly and said,"Talk to you some more. Find out what is inside the intense psyche of Draco Malfoy."

"I don't know...you might not like what you find..."

"Why not?"

"Well, years of being mistreated by everyone you know can't be good for anyone. I'm a pretty angry person."

"I'm sure you have a lot to be angry about. I mean, you may have a lot of money, but from what I see your family doesn't care about you. It's the exact opposite at my house."

"Yeah...I guess that's one of the things that made me bitter towards you when you didn't deserve it. Well, until this year when I realized I needed to get over myself."

"I don't blame you. I always figured your family wasn't very loving and that was part of the reason why you were so angry all the time and hated everyone."

"You are intuitive. But tell me about your family."

"Well, you know my dad. He's totally out of it. Did you know he collects plugs?"

"No," laughed Draco.

"Well, he collects all kinds of muggle things really, but mostly plugs and eklectical stuff. And muggle books. Lots of them."

"Do you read them?"

"Ginny and I do. And Percy used to, of course."

"That's cool, 'cause whenever things got bad at home I'd always walk into town and go in the shops. One of my favorite places was the bookstore...but then I found the library and I practically lived there during the summer."

"Must be a pretty big library."

"Not as big as the one here, but yeah, it's pretty big."

"What's your favorite book?"

"Ugh, don't ask me that. I love them all. There are too many."

"Yeah I know," Ron said, smiling.

Draco smiled back, and Ron asked,"You ever read any Shakespeare?"

"Yeah, I really liked the Tempest. And Romeo and Juliet...that one is one of my favorites."

"Really? My dad used to read that to me all the time when I was little before I went to bed. Well, he read me other things, too, but I liked that one the best because I liked to learn all the big words. So it kind of stuck with me. I know it pretty well."

"It's no wonder you're so intelligent, what with your father reading you Romeo and Juliet when you were little."

"Well, I didn't understand it or anything, but...I guess so."

"Wish my dad would even tell me goodnight."

Ron smiled sympathetically.

"How can he have raised you all these years and not care about you enough to tell you goodnight?"

"Well, that's the thing, he didn't really raise me. I was only amusing when it came to showing me off at his stupid parties. The house elves mostly raised me along with a little supervision from my mother."

"That's horrible."

"It hasn't gotten any better. I think I was an accident. But let's talk about you some more."

"Don't say that. You need to talk to somebody about it."

Draco shrugged and stared out the window as he pulled his knees up to his chest. He draped his arms over them and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked him quietly.

"You're just too good to be true."

Ron laughed,"I don't know about that, but you're not so bad yourself."

Draco smiled and reached up to brush his hair out of his face. Ron noticed a tattoo on Draco's wrist. It was of two cords of loosely woven thorns encircling Draco's whole wrist.

"I never knew you had a tattoo," Ron stated, amused.

"Yeah. My dad about strangled me."

"Did it hurt?"

"Yeah. Whenever you get a tattoo close to a bone, it hurts worse than when you get it done somewhere that has more fat and tissue."

"I like it."

"Thanks."

"How'd you get it?"

"I told my dad that the form was for school and he signed it. He didn't even read it."

"Wow."

"Yeah. It was funny, though, because when I went in there to pick one out, they had all these Chinese symbols, and underneath was what it meant. I saw all these ones that were like,'love' or 'peace' or 'harmony'...but then I saw one that said urination and I about had a heart attack laughing."

Ron laughed,"That's....interesting."

"Yep."

Draco and Ron spent the rest of the day that way, just talking, until the bell rang to let out of their last class.

"Damn," Draco said, getting up,"Gotta go to dinner.''

Ron also got up as he said sadly,"Yeah."

They took their time gathering up their things and finally walking to the door again. Draco gave Ron a few minutes' head start so that they wouldn't look suspicious coming into the Great Hall at the same time. When Draco got arrived, Pansy was sitting at his table waiting for him. He sat down and Pansy leaned in to whisper something to him, but Draco cut her off.

"I don't want to talk to you, and I'm not in the mood for listening to you whine about your fantasies or lies about how much I love you. Leave me alone."

"Oh Draco, you're such a coil. You're a tease."

"Whatever. I said leave me alone. I don't care what you assume I am. I'm dating someone else."

"Oh sure."

"I'm being serious."

"Okay."

"Aren't you wondering where I was last night?"

At this, Pansy realized he was telling the truth and looked like he had just stabbed her as she shrieked,"Who? When?"

"That's none of your damn business."

Tears were spilling off Pansy's cheeks as she ran, crying, out of the Great Hall. Draco glared at his housemates as they stared at him for making Pansy cry.

"No, offense, mate, but you've lost it. Pansy's hott," a boy sitting across from Draco said.

"Sure."

The boy shrugged and went back to his meal. At the Gryffindor table, Hermione was talking to Ron.

"....Ron, you really shouldn't skip like that! You're just lucky we're only reviewing. Why did you skip anyway?"

"I...um, felt really sick. I ended up spilling my stomach all over a first year. It was pretty funny." Harry and Ron laughed at this as Hermione said,

"You should have gone to Madam Pomfrey."

"I just wanted to rest. Besides, Madam Pomfrey probably would have made me spend the night there just because I had a stomach ache."

Hermione rolled her eyes, pulled out her newest book, and started reading. Ron saw Draco scowling over at the Slytherin table and, making sure no one was looking, smiled at him. Draco couldn't help it, he had to smile back. Ron started on hiis food, which had just appeared on his plate, and Draco did the same. When dinner was through, Ron got up along with everyone else and returned to his dormitory along with the others.

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In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER FIVE

They passed the rest of the week that way, seeing each other in Potions, but meeting after dinner in Draco's deserted room. They would have skipped class the rest of the week, but they knew it wasn't a possibility to do that and not get detention. On Friday evening, they were in Draco's room again, talking. Draco had lit up another cigarette and cracked open the window, which was letting in a chilly breeze. They were huddled under both their coats, which were buttoned togther. Ron shivered as he huddled closer to Draco.

"Sorry," Draco mumbled appoligetically.

"It's okay."

"You know, I'm seriously thinking about dating you."

Ron raised his eyebrows and said,"Oh really?"

"Mmhm."

"Because I was thinking about dating you."

"Oh really?"

"Mmhm. Want to?"

Ron laughed as he said,"Not exactly the romantic type are you?"

"Oh, I dunno...I could probably be romantic if I wanted to be. I've just never tried it before."

"I see."

"You never did give me an answer, you know."

"Yes."

Draco grinned and tossed his cigarette out the window. Draco pushed down hard on the window; it was hard to close being so old, but he finally got it back down. Then he snuggled back under the coat blanket with Ron and started to flirt with him by blowing on his neck. Ron laughed and playfully smacked Draco on the side of his face.

"Oh, you like it rough," Draco joked.

Ron scrunched up his nose in mock disgust and leaned against Draco again in defeat.

"Hey guess what?" Draco said excitedly.

"What?"

"I like you."

"No shit."

"That's not what you're supposed to say."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"You're supposed to say,"Draco I adore you, my heart's true love!!!!""

"Draco, I adore you, my heart's true love!!!!!"

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

Draco calmed down a bit and grabbed Ron's hand underneath the coat blanket. Ron squeezed Draco's hand and then traced Draco's palm with his fingers. He moved his fingers down towards the base of Draco's palm and rested them on his wrist. But Ron felt something rough. He brought Draco's hand out from underneath their coats and pushed up his sleeve as Draco squirmed. Along Draco's arm were several long, deep gashes and some horrible looking scars all up and down it. Ron looked up at Draco's scared face and whispered,

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"How would I have told you something like that? 'Oh, by the way, Ron, I just so happened to be so depressed a few nights ago I wanted to cut myself because I'm fucking crazy?'''

Ron remained silent, but he pushed Draco's sleeve back down and released his arm.

"Great," Draco continued,"Now you probably think I'm mental. Leave it to me to ruin things."

"I never said that. I just want to help you, but I'm not sure how."

"Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"Only if you promise not to do it again."

Draco hesitated.

"Draco."

"Fine."

"What...what does it feel like?"

"Obviously, it hurts."

"Wow, really? I mean, you must do it to make yourself feel better or something. So what is it that makes you want to do it?"

"Well..." Draco began slowly,"I feel a lot of emotional pain, and I guess it makes me feel better to make my body look and feel the way I'm feeling on the inside. Or maybe it's because I like to have control over how much physical pain I experience since I can't control what happens to me otherwise. Or maybe because I need to prove to myself that there is a pain worse than what I go through every day. I don't know."

Ron felt tears threatening to slide down his cheeks, and he knew that Draco knew this. However, Ron managed to choke out,

"Wow. That's really deep. But you know now that you can always come talk to me, right?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Ron hugged Draco, feeling stupid. He shouldn't be the one crying here. Surely Draco was feeling completely venerable. Ron laid his head on Draco's shoulder and closed his eyes. He fell asleep that way with Draco watching him and only woke up hours later when he felt Draco move him into his lap. Noticing that Ron had woken up, Draco whispered,

"Go back to sleep. You're beautiful when you sleep."

Ron smiled, but opened his eyes. It was very dark outside and Ron could see the stars clearly.

"You should get some sleep," Ron mumbled.

"I don't sleep very much. Besides, I like watching you sleep."

Ron smiled and closed his eyes again as Draco situated himself into a lying position also to please Ron.

"Goonight," Draco whispered in Ron's ear, covering Ron's shoulders with their coat blanket. Ron snuggled into Draco, already falling asleep. Draco bent over and kissed Ron softly. Ron opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

"I never thought my first kiss would be with you," Ron laughed sleepily.

"Wait, wait- you're telling me that you're seventeen years old and gorgeous and you've never been kissed?"

"Um, yeah." Ron's face, neck, and ears turned red.

"Wow."

"Who was your first kiss?"

"You think I actually remember that?" Draco laughed,"Umm...I think Pansy jumped on me once in third year and kissed me."

"Eww."

"Yeah."

Draco bent over and whispered,

"Can I kiss you again?"

Ron smiled and put his hands around Draco's neck as he brought his lips to his own lightly. They just brushed their lips against each other's for a few seconds until Draco whispered against Ron's lips,

"....please..."

Then Ron kissed him harder and a moan escaped Draco's mouth. He had only dreamed about this before, it couldn't be happening. Yet he could feel Ron's lips on his, his hands around his neck. It had to be. Then he ran his tongue slowly over Ron's bottom lip and bit down on it lightly. Ron's hands tightened around Draco's neck and Ron let Draco's tongue take over his mouth. Ron opened his eyes a little for a moment, he wanted to see Draco's face. Draco's gray eyes were shut tight and his brows were knitted. Ron smiled and went back to paying attention to kissing Draco again. Draco ran his tongue along Ron's bottom lip again and finally pulled away. Draco smiled at him again. He was smiling more today than he had in a month. Draco fell asleep smiling as Ron put his hands around Draco's waist sleepily.


	4. My Room

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER FOUR

As Ron caught up, Draco turned, surprised.

"That was quick."

"I didn't go. I don't care about getting in trouble. I want to spend my time with you."

Draco smiled, and making sure that everyone was gone, he took Ron's hand and they ran.

"This way," Draco panted as he pulled Ron down a different hallway. He finally reached the door and opened it quietly.

"This....is my room."

Ron walked in and said,"Wow....this is really nice. Do you come here often?"

"All the time."

"Don't you get caught?"

"No, I've snuck around this school too many times. I know where all the teachers are posted and where they like to go. If I use the lock on the door, no one can get in, and as long as I'm quiet, they don't have a reason to."

"So I could meet you here, like, any time I wanted."

"Right."

"Cool."

Ron set his things down and went over to the window to sit down. He took his coat off and spread it over himself and Draco like a blanket as they sat down.

"So," Draco asked quietly,"what do you want to do today?"

"I don't care. I'd be happy just sitting here listening to you breathe."

Draco blushed a light pink and said,"Me too....I mean, listening to you, not myself."

"I know what you mean," Ron laughed.

Draco scooted over next to Ron as he said,"I like to come here a lot at night and look at the stars."

"The view is great...it's probably beautiful."

"Like you, you mean?"

It was Ron's turn to blush as he said,"No, like you."

Ron layed his head on Draco's shoulder and closed his eyes. He fell asleep that way with Draco watching him and only woke up when he heard the noise of the students changing classes. Noticing that Ron had woken up, Draco whispered,

"Go back to sleep. You're beautiful when you sleep."

Ron smiled, but opened his eyes. He layed his head down in Draco's lap, trying to wake up. Draco bent over and whispered again,

"Can I kiss you?"

Ron put his hands around Draco's neck and brought his lips to his own lightly. They just brushed their lips against each other's for a few seconds until Draco whispered against Ron's lips,

"....please..."

Then Ron kissed him harder and a moan escaped Draco's mouth. He had only dreamed about this before, it couldn't be happening. Yet he could feel Ron's lips on his, his hands around his neck. It had to be. Draco felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. Then he ran his tongue slowly over Ron's bottom lip and bit down on it lightly. Ron's hands tightened around Draco's neck and Ron let Draco's tongue take over his mouth. Ron opened his eyes a little for a moment, he wanted to see Draco's face. Draco's gray eyes were shut tight and his brows were knitted. Ron smiled and went back to paying attention to kissing Draco again. Draco ran his tongue along Ron's bottom lip again and pulled away. Draco sat up and a lock of hair fell into his face. Remembering his dream, Ron brushed it away. Draco smiled at him again. He was smiling more today than he had in a month. He scratched his arm where his wounds were healing and before Draco could stop him, he Ron yanked up Draco's sleeve. Ron sat up and looked at Draco to confirm his thoughts. Draco looked down at his lap sadly and nodded. Ron pulled the sleeve back down as Draco rested his head against Ron's chest. Ron felt his shirt getting wet as tears rolled down Draco's cheeks.

"I never meant for you to find out. You probably think I'm mental."

"No. What does it feel like?"

"Obviously, it hurts."

"Oh, really?" Ron said sarcastically,"I meant that you must do it because it makes you feel better and I wanted to know why."

"Well, I go through a lot of pain. It makes me feel better for some reason to somehow make myself look and feel the way I'm feeling on the inside. Or maybe to prove to myself that there is a pain worse than what I'm going through. I don't know."

"This is moving so fast."

"I know, but I feel like I've known you for a long time."

"You have."

They passed the rest of the day talking and napping occasionally. When the bell rang to let out of the last class of the day, Ron and Draco sadly gathered their things.

"Meet me here tonight?" Ron asked.

"I have a better idea."

"What?"

"You'll see."

So, checking to see that the coast was clear, they separated and took different routes to the Great Hall for dinner. When Draco got there, Ron was already sitting down and Pansy was sitting at his table waiting for him. He sat down and Pansy leaned in to whisper something to him, but Draco cut her off.

"I don't want to talk to you, and I'm not in the mood for listening to you whine about your fantasies or lies about how much I love you. Leave me alone."

"Oh Draco, you're such a coil," Pansy purred into his ear,"You're a tease."

"Whatever. I said leave me alone. I don't care what you assume I am. I'm dating someone else."

At this, Pansy looked like he had just stabbed her as she shrieked,

"Who? When?"

"That's none of your damn business."

Tears were spilling off Pansy's cheeks as she ran, crying, out of the Great Hall. Draco glared at his housemates as they stared at him for making Pansy cry.

"No, offense, mate, but you've lost it. Pansy's hott," a boy sitting across from Draco said.

"Sure."

The boy shrugged and went back to his meal. At the Gryffindor table, Hermione was talking to Ron.

"....Ron you really shouldn't skip like that! You're just lucky we're only reviewing. Why did you skip anyway?"

"I...um, felt really sick. I ended up spilling my stomach all over a first year. It was pretty funny." Harry and Ron laughed at this as Hermione said,

"You should have gone to Madam Pomfrey."

"I just wanted to rest."

Hermione rolled her eyes, pulled out her newest book, and started reading. Ron saw Draco scowling over at the Slytherin table and, making sure no one was looking, smiled at him. Draco couldn't help it, he had to smile back. When dinner was through, Ron got up along with everyone else and returned to his dormitory along with the others.


	5. But Soft

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER FIVE

Two weeks later, Ron and Draco were becoming frusterated with not being able to see each other more. It was as if they were two halves of a whole, unable to function without the other. On Thursday night, Ron was filing out of the Great Hall again from dinner and he noticed that Draco was walking in front of him. He looked back at Ron meaningfully and ropped a peice of crumpled up parchment on the floor in front of him. Ron shuffled out with it under his foot. Once the crowd had finally thinned and he had lost Harry and Hermione, he lifted his foot and picked it up. He carefully smoothed it out and read,

'Leave the window in your dormitory open tonight.

Yours,

Draco.'

Ron folded it carefully and put it in his pocket as he smiled to himself. He raced back to the common room, feeling like he could fly. Harry and Hermione were having a deep conversation by the fire, so Ron headed over to join them. He sat down in one of the chairs, grinning.

"What are you so happy about?" Harry asked.

"Food," Ron answered mechanically.

Harry laughed as Hermione said,"I think it's this mystery girl that he fancies."

Ron's face flushed as Harry raised his eyebrows and asked,"Who?!?!"

Ron shook his head and kept silent.

"Oh, comon, Ron, you can tell us. I'm happy for you," Hermione goaded.

Ron still didn't say anything.

"Is it Lavender?" Harry pleaded eagerly.

When he recieved no answer, he went on,"Parvati? Urr...I dunno, mate, tell me."

Ron shook his head again, got up, and took the stairs up to his dormitory. It was only seven o' clock...he had a while to wait. He heard someone come in and lock the door behind them. Ron looked over and was surprised to see Hermione standing beside his bed. Ron scooted over and she layed down next to him. They were silent for a long time until Ron looked over and saw tears streaming from Hermione's face. She covered her face with her hands as sobs wracked her body. Ron reached over and hugged her, and she buried her face in his chest, still crying.

"Shh, Hermione....please don't cry." Ron was near tears himself. He hated to see her cry.

"I c-can't help it, I c-care about you so m-much."

"I know," he said quietly, stroking her hair,"but listen to me. Don't live your life for one person. There are other, better guys out there for you. I mean, I know Harry would date you. I'm not the only one that has changed this year, you know."

"No, you're the only one for me. I just realized it too late."

Ron sighed and hugged her tighter as he said,"Don't think that way. You'll get over me and be happier with someone else. I know from experience."

Suddenly, Hermione sat up and pressed her lips onto his. He kissed her for a few seconds, and then remembered himself. He pushed on her shoulders and they broke away.

"Hermione, I can't."

"I'm so sorry," She sobbed back,"I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Ron inturrupted.

He hugged her again and she told him she'd better go get ready for bed. She got up and walked out the door, looking back sadly at him before she left. Ron looked at his watch again. It was nearly 8:30. Hermione always went to bed early, Ron thought, shaking his head and smiling at her perfectionism.

"Ugh....eleven o'clock will never come."

Ron finally got out a book and began reading, and before he knew it, the others were coming in to get ready for bed, which could only mean it was nearly ten. He could hear them chattering quietly and climbing into their beds. A short time later, they turned out the lights and closed the curtians around their four-posters. Soon the sounds of sleep filled the room. Ron saw that it was nearly eleven and got up to unlock the window. He went back to his bed and layed down, waiting for Draco to come. Draco stood outside, looking up at the tree he was about to climb. He found the lowest branch he could and jumped up to garb it. Once he had done that, he turned and placed his feet up against the trunk of the tree. He slowly manuvered his way up the tree until he got to Ron's dormitory window. He could just barely see Ron lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. Draco inched out on the thickest branch he could find that was closest to Ron. He got to the end of the branch and jumped to the window ledge. Draco s-l-o-w-l-y pushed open the window, and Ron looked over at him. Ron jumped up and ran to the window.

"But soft...what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and you....you are the sun," Draco whispered softly as he stepped inside,"Arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon...with love's light wings did I fly over these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out."

"I would not for the world they saw thee here," Ron whispered back, right on cue.

"I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, and but thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love..."

" Dost thou love me? I know thou wilst say, 'aye,' and I will take thy word. Yet if thou swearest, thou mayest prove false. O, fair Draco, if thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully, or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay. So thou wilt, too, but else not for the world. But trust me, I'll prove more true than those that have more cunning to be strange. And not impute this yeilding to light love."

"By yonder blessed moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit trees-"

"O, swear not by the moon! The inconstant moon, that monthly changes in a circled orb, lest thy love prove a likewise variable."

"What shall I swear by?"

"Do not swear at all. Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry, and I will believe thee."

Ron looked deep into Draco's eyes as if he really meant what he was saying, not just reciting part of a play, and grabbed Draco by the shirt collar. He pressed his lips up against Draco's for a minute, and then broke away and led Draco to his bed. Draco climbed in, being careful not to make too much noise. Ron followed Draco and situated himself next to Draco, closing the curtains carefully. He turned to Draco and whispered again,

"When did you read Romeo and Juliet?"

"My father confiscated it from my mother when they learned that ole' Billy was a muggle. Father stormed around for ages muttering,'I can't believe the rubbish muggles come up with...' I went into his study one day last summer and found it in the bin next to his desk. So, I took it out and hid it under my mattress."

"Oh," Ron replied simply, resting his head on Draco's chest. They lay like that for a minute or two, just enjoying being with each other. Draco was playing with the hair at the base of Ron's neck and Ron was holding his other hand.

Ron cut into the silence with another whisper,"When did you figure out that you're gay?"

"A few years ago. My father and I both knew that I had a tendency to want more male attention than female attention, so he tried to squash it out of me. He thinks I'm what he calls 'normal' now. I guess growing up, my father was really the only one that ever acknowledged me, even if it was to put me down or yell at me. The others just ignored me, which was worse. At least when father yelled at me, it made me feel better afterwards to know that I mattered enough for him to care what I did. So, I tended to lean more towards wanting male attention because I felt like they understood and generally acknowledged and cared more about me."

"That's really deep, Draco."

Draco shrugged and said,"I dunno, I've thought about it a lot."

"Mmm," Ron said, rolling over so that he was lying on his stomach with his face in the pillow. Draco leaned over and kissed the back of Ron's neck. Ron shivered and then relaxed as Draco continued to kiss Ron's neck and shoulders. Then Draco kissed his jawline and rolled over himself. Draco stripped down to his boxers and carefully hid his clothes under Ron's bed. Ron also stripped, throwing his shirt, pants, and socks into his trunk. As they lay back down, Draco whispered,

"O blessed, blessed night...I am afeared, being in night, all this is but a dream, too flattering and sweet to be substantial."

Ron smiled and nuzzled his neck as he whispered back, "I don't know why, but I feel so close to you, like I've known you forever. Yet, we only kissed for the first time today, and here you are in my bed."

"I guess it was just meant to be," Draco said mocked quietly, giggling.

The next morning, Draco woke up to sounds of Ron's friends waking up. He heard Harry ask someone about some homework they had yesterday.

"Damn you, Potter...please just let me have a few more minutes of bliss," Draco muttered under his breath as he looked down at Ron sleeping against his shoulder. Draco kissed his forehead and put his arms around him. Ron opened his eyes and Draco put his fingers to his lips. Ron closed his eyes again and sank into Draco's chest. Draco put his right hand at the back of Ron's head and closed his eyes again as well as he waited for everyone to leave the room for breakfast. When they finally did, Draco started to get up, but Ron held on to him and said,

"Thou needest not be gone yet."

"I must go and live, or stay and die."

Draco pulled on his clothes from the day before as well as his shoes. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned back to Ron.

"...A thousand times the worse to want thy light," Draco whispered as he kissed Ron,"Love goes towards love as schoolboys from their books, but love from love, towards school with heavy looks."

And then he left, going the same way he came. Ron stretched, threw on his own clothes, brushed his teeth, and ran down to the Great Hall. Draco was already there, trying to get Pansy to leave him alone again. She looked very gaunt, Draco took it that she hadn't gotten very much sleep. She wasn't as perky as usual, actually, she was rather depressed. He would have to break her heart more often.

"Who is she? Tell me, I swear, I'll beat that damn barbie bitch til she wishes she wasn't born."

"Millicent Bulstrode," Draco said just for the fun of watching the scared look on Pansy's face. Millicent could probably sit on Pansy and kill her without even firing a blow.

"You're kidding...surely...that nasty, fat, thick lump of a human being?"

Draco didn't answer her.


	6. A So Called Mutiny

In Everlasting Peace - CHAPTER SIX

The rest of the fall passed slowly. Ron and Draco had Potions together first still, but that was the only time they saw each other during the day besides meals. They made plans to meet in Draco's deserted classroom and usually spent the night there, keeping warm with a few thin blankets and each other. On the first Thursday in December in Potions, Snape assigned them to test out their Paralyzing Draught on each other. Snape had brewed some antidote, which he set on their tables after he examined the potence of their potion. He held a large clipboard and two vials of antidote as he came to Draco and Ron's table. He had already given the potions a grade, now he wanted to see their effects. Ron gulped down Draco's potion first and felt a shivering sensation go from his head to his feet. He went limp in his chair and lost conrol of all his bones and muscles. He could no longer even move his eyes around the room. Snape examined him, then shoved a bottle of antidote at Draco. Draco acted like he was disgusted as he poured the antidote down Ron's throat. This time, Ron felt warm and tingly. The process was repeated again on Draco, and then the malicious potions master moved on, collecting all the empty vials as he went.

"Meet me in your room at lunch. I need to talk to you," Ron said with a serious look on his face. He grabbed Draco's hand as he replied,

"Sure."

After their second class, the bell rang for lunch and both Draco and Ron raced to their abandoned classroom. They got there at about the same time and went in together.

"What's up?" Draco asked.

Ron sighed as he said,"Draco, I think we should concider coming out together. I mean, I'm tired of making excuses all the time for where I go, and it's hard to hide my feelings for you around everyone else."

Draco heaved a huge sigh, too as he ran his fingers through his hair again and paced back and forth.

"I feel the same way, but Ron, you're going to have to be prepared for people's reactions. I want to be sure you're ready, because I know you have good friends here, and you may have to sacrifice some of them. This will change all of your relationships with everyone you know. And don't forget about your family."

Ron sat down at the window and looked out as he said sadly,"I know. But I'm tired of lying to everyone. I want them to know that I care about you, and if they don't like it, then they can go to hell."

Draco smiled and hugged Ron. He was a little scared, too, but he knew he needed to be strong not only for himself, but also for Ron.

"Are you sure about this?" Draco asked him.

"Let's do it tonight at dinner. Walk in with me."

"Alright, if you're sure this is what you want."

"Do you want to?"

"I'm scared of what my father will do, but you know I'd do anything for you."

"Will he hurt you?"

Draco hesitated for a fraction of a second, concidering his answer.

"No," he lied.

"Good. Meet me at the door before dinner, alright?"

"Okay. We had better get out of here, it's been nearly fifteen minutes. I'll see you later, alright? Don't be scared," Draco said as he kissed Ron and walked out quickly. Ron gave him a few minutes' head start and then trailed after him. Ron bolted down his lunch with Harry and Hermione staring at him.

"What?" He asked through bites of food.

"With your mystery girl again?" Harry asked him for the twentieth time that week. Hermione's face tensed up as she finished up her lunch.

"Uhm...yeah- Oh, Hermione, don't give me that look. If it makes you both feel any better, you'll find out who it is tonight at dinner. I'm going to walk in with them."

"Seriously?!" Harry nearly yelled with excitement,"Yesss! Finally! Damn, I was wondering if it'd be sometime in this life."

Ron's cheeks flushed as he too finished his lunch quickly.

The rest of Ron's classes passed much too quickly for his comfort. Before he knew it, the bell was ringing again for classes to let out. He still had ten minutes to be down at the Great Hall concidering his break. So he trudged back to his dormitory and shoved his bag into his trunk. He knew already that he was going to have a horrible night. He headed back down to the common room to be sure that Harry and Hermione had already left, he didn't want them sneaking around when he met Draco. Ron walked slowly down towards the Great Hall to wait for Draco. To his surprise, Draco was already there, and miracle of miracles, he had managed to shake Pansy as well. He waited until everyone was in the Great Hall to walk towards Draco.

"Ready?" Draco asked him nervously.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Ron tried to stand up straight and hold his head up as they started towards the open doors. They stopped again just before they came into view.

"Are you sure?" Draco had to ask again, grabbing Ron's hand.

"Yes."

Draco squeezed his hand and they walked into the Great Hall. Heads turned as they walked past, jaws dropped, and silverware clattered as it was dropped in shock. They panicked for a moment, not knowing which table to sit at, but Draco pulled Ron over to the Gryffindor table.

"Move," Draco said to a shell- shocked Harry, whose mouth was still open.

"Not for you," Harry finally managed to spit.

"I wasn't suggesting that I wanted to sit beside you, Potter. I assumed Ron wanted to sit by you."

Harry looked at Hermione, still shocked, and said,"Can you believe this? This can not be happening! This has got to be a fucking parallel word or something!"

Hermione got up to leave as she struggled,"I can't deal with this. I'm sorry, Ron." She ran out crying harder than ever.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me, after I've been your friend and stood beside you through thick and thin for five years! Now you betray me because you want to butt- fuck some other guy, and not only that, the person I despise the most at this school!"

"No, Harry, it's not that way, just give me a chance-"

"No! I am through with you! You'll both be sorry. Your name is nothing to me, and trust me, there will be consequences for you whether I dole them out or not."

The whole hall stared as Harry stormed out after Hermione. Ron and Draco sat down as Ron said,

"This was a mistake."

"You're doing fine. You're right. You're okay. They're just being idiots."

"A curse on both your houses," Ron mumbled, quoting Romeo and Juliet again.

Ron set his elbows on the table and covered his hands with his face. Draco put his arms around him and glared at anyone still staring. Ginny was stitting two seats down with an expression of complete shock etched on her face.

"What are you looking at?" Draco spat at her as she turned away.

"Comon, Ron, let's get out of here. Let's go somewhere."

"I know where we can go," Ron replied through his hands.

He got up and Draco followed him. Ron led Draco down countless hallways and many staircases before they reached the Room of Requirement.

"See that door? That leads into the Room of Requirement, but before we go in, think of a place you'd be most comfortable in with me, and walk past the door three times as you think."

They walked up and down the corridor, thinking about each other and where they would like to be at the moment. On their third walk past, Ron grabbed Draco's arm and they opened the door. The floor was of stone, but wasn't cold as they slipped their shoes off. There were three windows, and they could see stars shining outside of them even though it wasn't dark outside yet. The windows had light, flowing curtains that swished about in the warm breeze from the windows. There was a huge bed up against the middle of the wall facing them. It had a black duvet, stuffed with goose feathers and a matress stufffed with the same. Ron crawled into it, sinking into it's warmth as he pulled off his socks, shirt, and pants. Draco did the same and they lay there, thinking about what had just happened.Draco turned to Ron suddenly.

"Was it worth it?"

"For this moment? Yes. Besides, if Harry can't trust my judgement, he wasn't my friend in the first place."

"Exactly. I just want to be sure you're okay with what happened."

"I'm not okay with what Harry said, but I'm more than fine with what we did."

"Good."

Draco pulled Ron on top of him and covered both of them up with the duvet. Ron had his head up against Draco's chest again, his favorite place to be.

"I can hear your heart. It's beating really fast."

"I'm excited."

"To be with me?"

"Yes."

Ron smiled into Draco's chest and whispered,"Me too."

Ron kissed his chest and Draco let out a sigh as his laid his head back against the pillow. After a few minutes, Ron rolled off Draco and Draco started kissing Ron's jawline like he had before.

"Mmmmm. I like it when you do that."

"Ron?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I keep you?" Draco whispered.

"...Only if I can keep you," Ron whispered back, falling asleep.

Draco fell asleep soon after, holding him. They both fell into a dreamless sleep, but woke up occasionally to move closer to the other. Ron woke up the next morning to to Draco strumming a guitar quietly beside him.

So Far Away Lyrics

Ron, now fully awake, simply stared until Draco bent over and kissed him.

"It reminded me of how I feel about you."

Ron smiled sleepily and put his arms around Draco's neck as he arched his back, stretching.

"Ugh....got to go face the rest of the school," Ron said sadly.

"And I'll be right by your side," Draco responded angrily,"if they say anything to you-"

"You will be cool and not say anything," Ron cut in.

"Over my dead body."

"But I don't want you to die."

"I won't."

"You will if you fight with them."

"I suppose," Draco sighed,"but at the same time, I'm not taking crap from them."

"Okay. Just don't get yourself a shiner for Christmas. Then I'd be in Azkaban for murdering whoever the poor soul was that brutalized your beautiful face."

Draco laughed,"No, I'd rescue you."

"How?"

"Uhmmm.....I'd transfigure you into a bug or something so you could crawl through the bars. I dunno."

"That's creative."

"Yep."

Ron sat up and Draco laid his head in Ron's lap. Ron ran his fingers along Draco's jawline as Draco closed his eyes. Ron brushed his fingers lightly over Draco's lips and eyes softly. He traced Draco's brow with his thumb and brought his fingers back down to Draco's neck. He ran his fingers over Draco's pale flesh lightly as he kissed the tip of his nose. Draco laughed softly.

"Draco?"

"Mmm?"

"I...think I'm falling in love with you," Ron whispered in to Draco's ear.

At this, Draco's eyes jerked open and he sat up.

"What- what did you say?" Draco croaked, his eyes prickling and his throat getting tight.

"I- I love you," Ron repeated softly.

Draco came at Ron suddenly and embraced him tightly as he started to sob into Ron's shoulder.

"What's wrong?!" Ron asked, scared.

Draco sobbed harder, but managed to choke out,"N-nobody's ever-EVER told me t-that before."

Ron started crying too as he hugged Draco back harder and rocked him. They stayed like that for a long time, hugging and rocking and crying.

"I love you," Draco finally whispered back to Ron, resting his head on Ron's chest.

Ron leaned down and kissed Draco as he wiped the tears off his face.

"A lot of people throw that word around and don't mean it, and we've only been dating for four months now," Draco said quietly, hoping with all his heart that Ron wasn't just saying it.

"Yes. But I know I love you. The difference is that I'm saying it because I actually WOULD sacrifice anything, everything....for you. I would give up my life for you. You understand me the way no one ever has or ever will. You are so smart...funny...beautiful. The most beautiful person...I...I just know," Ron answered him slowly.

Draco started crying again as he looked into Ron's eyes, and grabbed his shoulders with both hands as he said this.

"Oh my God," Draco cried.

Ron wrapped his arms around Draco again, and said,

"I love you so much. I really, really love you....God, I love you."

"I love you, too."


End file.
